"Dr google will see you now!!!"

[Pcdaft]

Ubermod - interesting you wrote this post as I started writing something about Googling the other day and this is as far as I got:

To Google or not to Google

We all do it but why? What are you looking for?

I am betting that you are looking for the worst every scenario and that will usually be cancer, death, serious illness, horrid end to life, no hope, may as well give up now.

Sound familiar?

Well that is because you are looking for the worst ever possible diagnosis and never the usual, normal and easiest explanation.

Why? Because you don’t want to imagine it is something simple that is easily treatable – you want it to be serious and life threatening and of course you will die from it.

But will you?

The internet is a fantastic resource but if you abuse it then it becomes your worst enemy.

Use it wisely and do NOT believe all you read.

If you really really do have to Google then do it wisely and use choice words.

E.G. if you have a headache then DO NOT google for “headache brain tumour” as you will inevitably find that you have ALL the symptoms.

Instead Google for “headache causes” and you will find loads of other reasons including simple things such as dehydration!

Ok Cancer – this is going to be on every single post you look for so I wanted to test this and did some silly searches:

Cancer big toe – yup I have loads of those symptoms so I MUST have cancer ! ( I will not post what it said here but I could easily have them all)

Cancer swollen abdomen – Oh I have all of them too so I MUST have cancer

My point here is that whatever you Google for you can get and it will do you no good at all keep reading and searching more.

Use it wisely like I do.

I get a new medication and I Google the medication but want to see if it interacts with other meds or whether the occasional alcoholic drink is ok and I do not look for side effects or death or cancer as it serves no purpose.

Use Google wisely and Do NOT look for something that isn’t there. Look for the positives and NOT the negatives. Use the key search words wisely or you WILL freak out and have cancer and imminent death with every condition you have I assure you.

good answer wish i saw this befcore tonight goole is not my freind any more? thanks again xx

[Sugar Baby]

Cancer, lupus, heart problem... I'm now obsessed with the thought I have Lyme disease! Thanks Google :(

[FitnessLady02]

You are right, nowadays, many people depend on internet. If they feel unwell, some of them instead consulting on a professional, they go through the web.

[sillygirl]

Reading these responses helps so much! A few even made me laugh...awesome! I try to filter through things that I read, and focus on the most likely cause, but there's always the "what if?" question hanging over my head. I always start to focus on the negative, and imagine the horrible outcomes and how my life is ruined. I'm trying really really hard not to google my symptoms and come on here and read instead, or just get away from the computer completely, which is always the best option. No more dr google, until I see my dr first!

[Greenman50]

This has got to be the best info/post on the internet . WISH I HAD FOUND THIS SITE FIRST BEFORE I FOUND DR GOOGLE .

[ElectricAlice]

My anxiety decreased from 100% severity to about 70% when my boyfriend simply made me promise to him I wouldn't google my symptoms. Because id never want to break a promise I just stopped. Sometimes I get extremely tempted, especially with a new symptom. But I instead of googling the symptom I google anxiety. That helps. But google is a horrible thing! Good luck everyone Xxx

[kah]

OMG, I am the worst for visiting Dr Google. In the past 6 months I've been diagnosed with a brain tumour, ovarian cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer ...... there seems to be a pattern here!!!!

I've desperately tried not to look but I have no control over it!!
After reading this though I have now made a promise to myself - I have googled for the last time, I'm going cold turkey - wish me luck

K xxx

[hazy]

This is excellent and me to a T, however I don't look for the worst case scenario but quite the opposite, I imagine that my ailment is serious and I start getting a panic attack and google to see whether it can put my mind at ease and tell me its nothing. I wish I didn't I put off going to the Doctor in case he tells me its serious, oh to be normal!!

[Jefthros]

I agree with everything said on the thread, the amount of times I've looked on google cuz i wasnt feeling well and ended up freaking out cuz of what Dr google said i might have.

[panicpixie]

Dr Google made me think I had 3 diffierent types of cancer and meningitis all in one HORRIBLE day.

The More symtoms I read the more I felt like I could feel them, I Was (and Sill am I little bit) convinced I had mouth cancer, I looked it up on Google and sure enough I had alot of symtoms that were listed. This made everything 100x worst! Now all I can think about is my mouth, face and neck.
I Grind and clench my teeth almost all the time when I am panicing and this does make my face feels Hott, odd and a little numb, somtimes a bit tight even a bit achey sometimes. I Keep prodding and pokeing at my face and this does it NO good. I'm not a smoker, I very rarely drink and I am only 19, So I know deep down I know that mouth cancer is very unlikely. Still doesn't stop the panicing!

D: Sometimes I regret ever getting the internet! Too much imformation makes us crazy. And too much of the wronge information makes us CRAZIER.